Car wheel cover

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a car wheel cover comprising a circular rotation case  8, 10  which has a floating chamber filled with liquid and is rotatively mounted at a wheel  6  by means of a bearing  4 , and a disk type design plate  12, 14  which is floated in the floating chamber  2  of the rotation case  8, 10  and is provided with a weight  16  at the lower side of it, and a variety of pictures and logos are formed at the surface of the design plate  12, 14  and the surface of the rotation case  8, 10  is made of transparent material in order that the pictures or the logos of the design plate  12, 14  may be seen.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a car wheel cover having a design plate that is settled in the original position during the driving so that it may excellently achieve decoration effect or advertisement effect by the design plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Conventionally, a car has been used as a transportation means. However, the car is recently regarded as a means that shows the individuality or social status of the owner.

[0003] Accordingly, many car companies are developing a car with various and unique design in order to satisfy the consumer's various desire. In one hand, even the wheel of the car is made in various designs and materials in order to satisfy the customer's desire.

[0004] However, as the car is running, the wheel is rotated accordingly and the design or the shape of the wheel may not be recognized at all. Therefore, the means or the method is nowadays required to have the decorated wheel recognized.

[0005] And, in order to acquire the above purpose, the applicant invented a car wheel cover comprising a design plate which is rotatively mounted at the wheel and has a weight at the lower side and may not be rotated to be settled in an original position although the wheel of the car is rotated. (Korean Patent Application No. 1999-021972)

[0006] The above design plate is rotatively mounted at the wheel by means of a bearing, or is inserted into a case filled with liquid and is floated in the case by buoyancy of the liquid. Accordingly, the design plate is not to be rotated because the weight is attached at the lower side and is settled in the original position even though the car is running.

[0007] In case of the wheel cover comprising the design plate mounted at the wheel by means of a bearing, the design plate may be settled in the original position when the car is running at a constant speed along a plane and smooth road which has no bump. By the way, when the car is accelerated or decelerated rapidly or when the car is running on a bumpy road, an eccentrical force may be applied to the design plate owing to the weight so that the above design plate may be excessively shaken or may be swung repeatedly and the design at the design plate may not be recognized at all.

[0008] Further, in case of the wheel cover comprising the design plate which is floated in the case by buoyancy of liquid, when the case is rotated below a certain speed, the liquid in the case may be kept in static condition and absorbs a movement energy generated by the acceleration and deceleration of the car or the shake of the car. Accordingly, the design plate may be settled in the original position by the weight at the lower side. We may certify this phenomenon by a case that, when we floats a leaf on the surface of the water filled in a cylindrical barrel type receptacle and rotates or pounds the receptacle, the above leaf on the water is not moved and is floated on the original position.

[0009] However, when the case is rotated over the critical speed, so to speak, over the speed that the liquid is unable to absorb the rotation speed of the case, the liquid is to be rotated together with the case so that the design plate floated by the liquid is also rotated at a high speed. According to the test implemented by the inventor, the design plate is rotated together with the case when the car is driven over the speed of 80 km per hour. We may certify this phenomenon by a case that, if we put water and laundry into a cylindrical washing barrel of a washing machine and rotate the washing barrel, the water and the laundry is rotated together with the washing barrel.

[0010] Accordingly, if the car is driven below a certain critical speed, compared with said wheel cover utilizing the bearing, the wheel cover utilizing buoyancy of the liquid may much more excellently settle the design plate in the original position without being affected by the vibration, the acceleration and the deceleration of the car. However, the above wheel cover has also the problem that, if the car is running over said critical speed, the design plate is also rotated with the wheel and the logo or the picture of the design plate may not be recognized at all.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The invention is created to solve the above described problems and so the object of the invention is to provide a car wheel cover having a design plate that is settled in the original position although the wheel is rotated and may excellently achieve decoration effect or advertisement effect by the design plate.

[0012] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided with a car wheel cover comprising a circular rotation case 8, 10 which has a floating chamber filled with liquid and is rotatively mounted at a wheel 6 by means of a bearing 4, and a disk type design plate 12, 14 which is floated in the floating chamber 2 of the rotation case 8, 10 and is provided with a weight 16 at the lower side of it, and a variety of pictures and logos are formed at the surface of the design plate 12, 14 and the surface of the rotation case 8, 10 is made of transparent material in order that the pictures or the logos of the design plate 12, 14 may be seen.

[0013] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided with a car wheel cover wherein a protection case 18, 20 which has a insertion space 22 is fixed at the front surface of the wheel 6 and a rotation shaft 28 is mounted at the center of the protection case 18, 20 by means of the bearing 4 so that the rotation case 8, 10 may be protected by the protection case 18, 20.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014]FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a car wheel cover according to the invention.

[0015]FIG. 2 is a disassembled perspective view of the car wheel cover.

[0016]FIG. 3 is a view of the car wheel cover of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] A preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail below by referring to the accompanying drawings.

[0018]FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 show the embodiments according to the invention. As shown in the drawings, the car wheel cover of the invention comprises a circular rotation case 8, 10 which has a floating chamber filled with liquid and is rotatively mounted at a wheel 6 by means of a bearing 4, and a disk type design plate 12, 14 which is inserted into the floating chamber 2 of the rotation case 8, 10.

[0019] The rotation case 8, 10 is formed with a circular plate type and is made with a case body 8 whose front surface is opened and a cover 10 which is combined at the front surface of the case body 8. Accordingly, a user may assemble the rotation case 8, 10 by combining the case body 8 and the cover 10 each other. And, the bearing 4 is mounted at the rear surface of the case body 8.

[0020] The cover 10 is formed of a transparent plastic material so that the design plate 12, 14 mounted at the inside of the rotation case 8, 10 may be visible with eye. And, the liquid filled in the rotation case 8, 10 should be oil or antifreezing solution whose viscosity is low and whose material properties are not changed by heat.

[0021] The design plate 12, 14 includes a plastic disk 12 and a design sheet 14 which has a variety of logos, pictures or figures and is attached at the front surface of the disk 12. And, a metal weight 16 is mounted at the lower side of the disk 12. Further, the design plate 12, 14 is made in the weight that may be floated by buoyance of the liquid in the rotation case 8, 10. Accordingly, the design plate 12, 14 may be always settled in the original position because it may be floated in the rotation plate 8, 10.

[0022] And, the rotation case 8, 10 is mounted in the protection case 18, 20 fixed at the wheel 6. The diameter of the protection case 18, 20 is larger than that of the rotation case 8, 10 and an insertion space 22 is formed so that the rotation case 8, 10 is inserted into the insertion space 22. The protection case 18, 20 includes an inner case 18 which is fixed at the wheel 6 by means of bolts(not shown) and an outer case 20 which is combined with the inner case 18. And, a rotation shaft 28 is coaxial to the wheel 6 and is projected at the center of the inner case 18. Accordingly, the user may mount the rotation case 8, 10 rotatively in the protection case 18, 20 by combining the bearing 4 of the rotation case 8, 10 with the rotation shaft 28. Here, because the outer case 20 of the protection case 18, 20 is made in a transparent plastic, the rotation case 8, 10 and the design plate 12, 14 in the rotation case 8, 10 may be seen.

[0023] Accordingly, a user may mount the rotation case 8, 10 in the protection case 18, 20 by mounting the inner case 18 of the protection case 18, 20 at the wheel 6 and by combining the rotation case 8, 10 to the rotation shaft 28 of the inner case 18 and finally by mounting the outer case 20 at the front surface of the inner case 18.

[0024] The car wheel cover according to the invention comprises a rotation case 8, 10 which is rotatively mounted at the wheel 6 and a design plate 12, 14 which is mounted in the rotation case 8, 10. Here, the liquid filled in the rotation case 8, 10 makes the design plate 12, 14 floated in the floating chamber 2 of the rotation case 8, 10 and calms down the shake of the design plate 12, 14 promptly when the design plate 12, 14 is shaken. Further, the liquid in the rotation case 8, 10 prevents the shake and the repeated swing of the design plate 12, 14 by absorbing the movement energy generated according as the rotation case 8, 10 is rotated or vibrated so that the rotation case 8, 10 is hardly rotated. Here, the center of the rotation case 8, 10 should be mounted at the center of the wheel 6 in order that an eccentrical force may not be applied to the rotation case 8, 10.

[0025] Accordingly, because the rotation case 8, 10 is hardly rotated although the wheel 6 is rotated at a high speed, the liquid filled in the floating chamber 2 of the rotation case 8, 10 is kept in static condition so that the design plate 12, 14 floated in the floating chamber 2 is hardly rotated. Although the car is accelerated and decelerated rapidly or is driven on a bumpy road and the wheel is vibrated, the liquid absorbs the vibration so that the design plate 12, 14 may be hardly rotated or shaken. And, because the design plate 12, 14 is hardly rotated or shaken, the logos or the figures of the design plate 12, 14 may be always seen with eye clearly even when the car is driven or accelerated and decelerated so that the visual effect of the design plate may be increased remarkably.

[0026] According to the car wheel cover of the invention, because the center of the design plate 12, 14 is eccentric owing to the weight 6 but the center of the rotation case 8, 10 is not eccentric, the rotation case 8, 10 is not vibrated severely although the car is driven at a high speed and is accelerated and decelerated or is driven on a bumpy road. However, the rotation case 8, 10 is rotatively mounted at the wheel by means of the bearing 4 so that the rotation case 8, 10 is inevitably vibrated more or less.

[0027] Although the rotation case 8, 10 is vibrated more or less, because the liquid is filled in the rotation case 8, 10 and the design plate 12, 14 having the weight 16 is floated in the liquid, even when the design plate 12, 14 is about to be vibrated with the rotation case 8, 10, the liquid generates resistance and prevents promptly the vibration of the design plate 12, 14. And, although the car is driven on the bumpy road, the liquid absorbs the shock and controls the vibration of the design plate 12, 14. Further, the rotation or the vibration of the case 8, 10 may also be prevented by the weight of the liquid.

[0028] Further, because the rotation case 8, 10 is mounted in the protection case 18, 20 which is mounted at the center of the wheel 6 by means of the rotation shaft 28, the rotation case 8, 10 or the bearing 4 is not polluted or not damaged by alien material.

[0029] In case of the embodiment according to the invention, the design plate 12, 14 is comprised with a design sheet 14 at the front surface of the disk 12. However, it is possible that a variety of pictures or logos may be molded at the front surface of the disk 12. Further, it is also possible that a variety of advertisement sentences or advertisement pictures may be attached to the design plate 12, 14 in order that advertising effect may be achieved.

[0030] And, if a variety of projections are formed on the inner wall of the floating chamber 2 of the rotation case 8, 10 or at the circumference surface of the design plate 12, 14, the shake of the liquid is remarkably reduced by the strong resistance generated between the projections and the liquid so that the vibration of the design plate 12, 14 may be promptly calmed down although the design plate 12, 14 is vibrated.

[0031] Therefore, because the car wheel cover of the invention comprises a rotation case 8, 10 which is rotatively mounted at the wheel 6 by means of a bearing 4 and a design plate 12, 14 which is mounted in the floating chamber 2 of the rotation case 8, 10, the design plate 12, 14 is not rotated and settled in the original position independent of the vibration or the acceleration and deceleration of the car. 

1. A car wheel cover comprising a circular rotation case 8, 10 which has a floating chamber filled with liquid and is rotatively mounted at a wheel 6 by means of a bearing 4, and a disk type design plate 12, 14 which is floated in the floating chamber 2 of the rotation case 8, 10 and is provided with a weight 16 at the lower side of it, and a variety of pictures and logos are formed at the surface of the design plate 12, 14 and the surface of the rotation case 8, 10 is made of transparent material in order that the pictures or the logos of the design plate 12, 14 may be seen.
 2. A car wheel cover of claim 1 wherein a protection case 18, 20 which has a insertion space 22 is fixed at the front surface of the wheel 6 and a rotation shaft 28 is mounted at the center of the protection case 18, 20 by means of the bearing 4 so that the rotation case 8, 10 may be protected by the protection case 18,
 20. 